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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25109020">Nicknames in the Sun</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/HumbleShipper/pseuds/HumbleShipper'>HumbleShipper</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Childhood Friends, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Kalos-chihou | Kalos Region (Pokemon), Nicknames, Reader is a Pokemon Trainer, Red String of Fate, Soulmates, Sycamore is an idiot, but there is a happy ending, but we love him, cavity warning, its way too self indulgent, mentions at least - Freeform, reader has a shiny, super sweet</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 07:28:20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,020</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25109020</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/HumbleShipper/pseuds/HumbleShipper</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>You and Augustine meet when you're very little. A strong bond is formed between the two of you, one you know will never be broken. Or so you think. Things change when you set out on your Pokemon adventure, and you fear the distance may have severed that oh so close bond forever.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Platane-hakase | Professor Augustine Sycamore/Reader</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Nicknames in the Sun</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hey there! I'm back after I disappeared for a good year, but I have fics galore! Here's a good one (in my opinion). A simple little one shot that I thought of some time ago and just got around to posting!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Finally, finally mother is letting me go. Of course she would wait till I was 18, she didn’t trust the outside world no matter how safe I was with my Pokémon. But now I could go, now I could visit the professor for real!</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There have been many times that I have visited the young professor, he wasn’t much older than me, starting out when he was 18 and I was 16. We’d met long before he was a professor, when I was out trying to catch my first Pokémon under the watchful eye of my mother. I was about 10 at the time, when most kids went off on their own.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>— — —</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>I stalked through the grass that hid my entire form, searching for a Pokémon of my own. My mother had given me her Fletchinder for protection, and to weaken the Pokémon I want to catch, but I was going to catch my Pokémon my way. I clutched the single Pokéball in my small hands, rushing forward at the first sound of rustling ahead of me. I smacked into something that jumped in front of me and the both of us fell to the ground, groaning in pain.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ah! I’m so sorry, are you okay?” A rather high pitched voice asked me. A boy, not much older than me scrambled to his feet to offer his hand to me. “Here, let me help you up.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I was blown away by this boy; short purple hair framed his pale face while soft grey eyes pleaded for me to take his hand. He was gorgeous, the prettiest boy I’d ever seen. I accepted his offer and he hoisted me to my feet. “I-I’m sorry! Uh..I was just looking for Pokémon..”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re looking for Pokémon too?” The boy suddenly brightened up, gripping my hand tighter. “I’m trying to study them! Do you wanna look together?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sure!” I felt something swell in my heart and grinned brightly at this boy. “I’m (Y/n)! I wanna be a Pokémon trainer someday!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m Augustine! I’m training to be a professor!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s a long name..uh..how about I call you Auggy?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Augustine’s cheeks turned a brighter shade of red at the nickname. “Uh..sure! I guess my name is long..”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I giggled and tugged at his hand, pulling him further into the grass. “You can call me something too if you’d like!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Augustine thought for a moment as he was dragged along, eventually catching up to me. “Well..I don’t know yet. I’ll think of something though! Let’s find some Pokémon.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The two of us searched most of the afternoon, finding many different Pokémon who seemed rather angry to have been disturbed. I had to use Fletchiner to save the both of us a few times, silly Auggy didn’t bring a Pokémon with him. I’d almost given up hope of catching a Pokémon my way until something different caught my eye. There was a silver Eevee watching us from a good distance away, unmoving, simply sitting.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>This was my chance. With a deep breath, I slowly walked up to the Eevee, kneeling down a few feet away as not to scare it. “Hey there little one.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Eevee tilted its head in curiosity. It looked as though it were alone, and I didn’t remember seeing any other Eevees here. “Are you all alone out here?” I asked, tilting my own head in return.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Eevee slowly nodded, looking down in sadness. “E-eevee..”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It’s cry was higher pitched, and rather quiet. “I think that’s a female. She’s a rare sight!” Auggy said behind me, writing things down in his little notebook.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, you don’t have to be alone anymore.” I said to try and catch the Pokémon’s attention. It worked and she looked up at me with curious eyes. “I want to be a Pokémon trainer, work alongside them and become stronger with them. You could come with me! Join my team. You’d be my first Pokémon, my partner!” I held out the pokéball as I spoke, wanting the little Eevee to come to me.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She eyed the pokéball with an expression I couldn’t read. Slowly rising to her feet, she padded over to me and sniffed my hand. “Eev..?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You don’t have to if you don’t want to, but it might be better than staying alone out here. You don’t even have to stay in the ball. What do you say?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With a final “Eevee!” she sat down and smiled at me. I took that as an invitation and tapped the pokéball to her head, the red beam absorbing her into the ball. It shook once, twice, three times, and sealed with a click.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I couldn’t hold back my giddiness as I brought her back out into the world. “Yay! We’re partners now! I’m (Y/n), oh! And this is my friend Auggy!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Auggy kneeled down beside me with a bright smile of his own. “Hey there!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Eevee called happily, her tail swishing as she smiled at the both of us. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I should give you a nickname too.” I said and tapped my chin in thought. “How’s about...Crystal?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Crystal nodded in agreement. She bounced on her toes and put her front paws on my knees. “Guess she really likes it.” Auggy said, chuckling.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah! I’m glad!” I said, picking Crystal up into my arms as I stood.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Auggy stood with me, a soft smile still on his face. “I think I have the perfect nickname for you now.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Really? What is it?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sunshine.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>— — —</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>With Crystal, now a blue ringed Umbreon, in tow, I made a mad dash for the professor’s lab. We’d lived in this same city for forever, so I knew the route by heart. Riding the elevator up, the doors opened to the familiar office, the sounds of Pokémon and small voices filling my ears. The kids must be here.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I took a peek around the screen to see them battling Sycamore with their starters, holding their own pretty well and actually beating him. I hung in the back of the room, just watching for now as he spoke with the kids about their pokedexes, about mega evolution, and the bonds between them and their Pokémon. It was no different from any speech he’d given before, only this time he held his head up with pride and spoke without stuttering.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When the kids rushed off to continue their adventure, Sycamore turned to me with the same bright smile he wore when we were kids. “Good to see you again, Sunshine.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good to see you too, Auggy. I’m impressed! You managed to get through that whole speech without stuttering once!” I chuckled and strode over to him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The smile on his face turned to a pout. “Hey, I’ve said that plenty of times without stuttering!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not while I was around.” I nudged him and grinned brightly, my excitement bubbling up. “Guess what guess what?!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hmm..” Auggy put a hand to his chin in fake thought. “Let me see..you found a new flavor of pokepuffs?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I smacked his shoulder lightly, earning a laugh from him. “No you dork! You know why I’m here. I’m 18! I get to go out on my Pokémon adventure!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sycamore made a face of fake shock. “What?! It’s your birthday and you didn’t tell me!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Auuuggyyyyy!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sycamore laughed again. “Well, lucky me, I thought ahead. I have a birthday present for you.” He circled his desk and opened one of the locked drawers. “I got these especially for you. I even personalized them.” He returned to my side with two boxes in his hands, both wrapped in Pikachu wrapping paper and topped with orange bows.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Awww you didn’t have to get me a gift.” I looked over the boxes curiously. Both were a bit small, one slightly bigger than the other. Both were bigger than my hands, but could fit in each one comfortably.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You know I had to. Now go on, open them.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Plopping myself down on his couch, I tore through one of the boxes, starting with the larger of the two. Sycamore sat beside me, watching to see my reaction. The box held what looked like just a regular Pokédex. “Don’t you give this to all the kids who start their adventures?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course, but this one is special. Why don’t you power it on?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I did as he said, bringing the new Pokédex to life. When the screen brightened, I was greeted with a simple line of text. “Hello Sunshine.” The first few notes of “you are my sunshine” played in the background before it took me to the home screen.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It has communication capabilities, and I already put my information in.” Sycamore said, pushing a few buttons to show two contacts, Mom and Auggy.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Auggy this is great! Thank you so much.” I could feel that familiar warmth growing in my chest, he always spoiled me on my birthdays.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You still have one more gift. The best for last.” He said, gesturing to the smaller package. “Open it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The best for last, huh?” I asked and peeled away the wrapper. Inside was a black badge case, Sunshine engraved onto the front of it in golden letters with a little Umbreon in the corner. It was batting at the last letter, making it tilt slightly. Inside was a soft velvet liner, holes in the shape of the Kalos badges dug out in the bottom. On the inside of the lid was a picture of the two of us as kids, Crystal in my arms before she evolved. The three of us were grinning brightly in front of the lab. “I remember this...we took this the day we met!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sycamore nodded. “My mom kept the picture, so I thought I’d print it out for you. Something to take with you on your adventure so you don’t forget me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I closed the case and batted at his cheek. Something about his tone worried me, as though he was serious. “How could I forget you? You’re my Auggy, my little squeaker who’s voice didn’t change till he was 16~”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“(Y/n) please.” He laughed, his cheeks tinting red. “At last my voice is normal now. You still haven’t grown since you were 13.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey! I have!” I poked at his nose; now it was my turn to blush. “You just shot up like a rocket and didn’t notice!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh-Huh. And who’s been the same height since then?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Shuuuuush!” I smushed his face between my hands, pressing his cheeks in as he laughed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He took my hands away after a moment and smiled at me with a soft gaze. I almost felt like I was melting under it. “I’m gunna miss this..”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s not like I’ll be gone forever.” I said, taking his hands in mine. “I’ll come visit after every gym, how about that?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sycamore shook his head, gripping my hands a bit tighter. “No. Keep going till you finish them all. If you don’t, those kids from before will beat you to the elite four.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Like hell they will! I’ll show them how it’s done!” I could feel the fire burning in my chest, both from his words and the motivation to climb my way to the top.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’d better get a move on then.” Sycamore hauled me to my feet, placing the two gifts in my hands. “Don’t want their head start to get you too far behind.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I nodded quickly, bouncing on my toes. “I’ll call you when I beat the first gym!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sycamore grinned and took one of my hands, placing a gentle kiss on the back of it that sent shivers down my spine. “I’ll look forward to it. Get out there and show them what your made of. I’ll be rooting for you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I pulled him into a quick, but tight hug. “Thank you, Auggy.” Pulling away, I tucked the Pokédex and badge case into my bag. “I’ll be back with a full case. I promise, I’ll beat those kids!” I said and held out my pinky.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Auggy knew the drill. He linked his pinky with mine and grinned, pink dusting his cheeks. “I’ll hold you to that. Now get a move on! Adventure is waiting for you, Sunshine.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Crystal called in excitement, rushing to the elevator. I giggled and waved goodbye to Sycamore as he did the same in return, walking into the elevator to begin my journey through the Kalos region.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Auggy come on, pick up the phone..” I muttered, seated on a bench outside of the fist gym. My Pokédex was settled in my lap, ringing a droning tone as it dialed the professor. I’d just beaten the gym with flying colors, and I wanted to tell him about it. Or at least say hello.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Crystal sat beside me, idlely batting at my bracelet. A simple red string, old and worn, but still holding strong around my wrist. Sycamore had one too, it was something we’d gotten years ago.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>— — —</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey! How about these?” Sycamore pointed to two string bracelets in a vibrant red on a stand; the fair around us nearly drowned out his words.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Red strings? Why those?” I asked, adjusting Crystal in my arms. It had been maybe two years since I’d gotten her; she’d already evolved into an Umbreon, but still insisted I carry her fairly often.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ever heard of the red string of fate?” He asked, turning to me. The stand keeper just smiled fondly at us, an old woman with knowing eyes. “It’s said it connects soulmates by their pinkies! That’s why we make pinky promises.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Woah really? Wow....soulmates..” I thought about it for a moment, the idea of a soulmate sounded perfect, something to look forward to. “So do you think if we get the strings it will help us find our soulmates?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Auggy chuckled and ruffled my hair. “Well, I guess kinda? Think of it like a promise to each other. That even if we can’t find our soulmates, we’ll be there for each other.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I grinned brightly and nodded. “Lets get them.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Auggy grinned back, turning to the lady who was already taking the bracelets off the stand. He paid for the bracelets, then turned to me with one in his hand. “Hold out your wrist. I’ll put it on for you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I set Crystal down and did as he said. Auggy undid the string and carefully tied it around my wrist. “There! A perfect fit.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I snatched the other string from him. “Now it’s your turn.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He nodded and held out his arm for me. I did just as he had, untying and tying the string around his wrist. “Now we gotta promise each other, pinky promise, that no matter what we’ll stay by each other.” He held his pinky in the air, staring me right in the eye.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I lock my pinky with his and nod. “And only I get to call you Auggy!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He chuckled at that. With a tighter grip on my pinky, he nodded in agreement. “I promise! So long as only I get to call you Sunshine.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I promise!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>— — —</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Two months. Two long months it had been since I last saw him. My team was full, as was my badge case. I’d beaten the kids to my goal, now all that stood in my way was the elite four. I wasn’t ready to face it, not yet, I had to see him first.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He hadn’t been returning my calls as of late. In the beginning he would always call back, apologizing for being busy, or for being asleep. But eventually, he just stopped calling back. I guessed maybe he was just really busy. Maybe there was a breakthrough in his research, or perhaps he was the one who forgot.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Climbing onto the back of my Noivern, we took off into the sky, home being our only destination. The air was cold and the sky was dark. It was a bit later in the evening, and the wind smelled of coming rain. I twisted the red string on my wrist in worry as a knot formed in my gut. That knot filled itself with anxiety and fear. What if he didn’t care anymore? What if he’d truly forgotten about me?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I tried to shake those thoughts away. No, he promised. We promised. I should put on a happy face and waltz in there with pride! I had beaten all the gyms before the kids, just like I’d promised. This was to be a happy meeting.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>My Noivern landed in front of the darkened lab, gazing up at the empty windows. The only light was coming from the third story, his office. That meant he was still here. I knew he would be, he always stayed late. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>This was perfect. He’d be almost done with work, winding down after a long day, and I come in and surprise him with the good news! Show him my team and all the Pokémon I’ve recorded in my Pokédex. It was almost full, just a few more and it wouldn’t have anymore pages to fill.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I must have been daydreaming too much about what might happen; my Noivern nudged me with her nose closer to the building, Crystal doing the same to my leg. “Alright, alright. Let’s go inside.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I took a deep breath and strode into the building, piling into the elevator with my partner and my rather large dragon. She almost didn’t fit with us in the small elevator, but we made it work. “Noi, remember this is a surprise, keep quiet till I say so okay?” The dragon type was known for being loud, but she nodded in agreement to hold her tongue until the right moment.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When the doors opened, the three of us began to tiptoe behind the privacy screen of his office. The only light in the room was from his table lamp, so any shadows we made were cast away from his line of sight. An unfamiliar giggle made me stop in my tracks as it was followed by one I knew all too well. I didn’t have to strain my ears to overhear their conversation.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Madam you are a beautiful maiden..I’m enchanted.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Another giggle responded. “Oh professor, you have such a way with words..”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A female voice..who..? Who could that be? I gestured for my Pokémon to remain where they were while I crept silently to the edge of the screen. That knot I’d ditched outside the lab came crawling back full force, hammering my heart in my chest and my ears. The sight that greeted me caused the knot to nearly consume me on the spot.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There in his arms, some girl I’d never met. She was seated on his desk, him leaned in close to her. They shared quick kisses and breathy chuckles in the dim light, unaware of my presence. My heart sank to the floor, dropped straight out of my body. I felt light headed. I quickly stepped back, holding my head as not to fall over. Noi and Crystal looked to me with concern as they tried to see for themselves, but I pushed them back. I didn’t want to be there anymore. It was too much.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I pushed them into the elevator with little effort. I stopped before the doors, hesitating, too scared to move one way or the other. Pulling out my badge case, I forced myself to step forward, but only a single step. My fingers traced the back of the case, etched words in the same gold as the front. “From your Auggy.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>My Auggy. </span>
  <em>
    <span>My</span>
  </em>
  <span> Auggy. No. He wasn’t mine, he never was mine, and now he never will be. Biting back tears, I took the last steps into the elevator. Any conversation the two behind the screen may have been having was tuned out until now, when I heard something that made that dreadful knot finally snap and envelop my being in heartbreak. “I love you, Auggy~”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Before the doors closed, I threw the badge case across the room, hearing it smack against the wall as the office was cut off in front of me.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>— — —</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I love you, Auggy~” The words caught him off guard. She couldn’t call him that, she had no right to that nickname. Only his Sunshine could. He was about to tell the girl before him that, scold her for saying such things, when an unusual sound caught his attention. The sound of something hitting the wall and then clattering to the floor.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What was that?” He looked away from the girl towards the sound, only to be pulled back closer to her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Who cares, just focus on me~”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sycamore shook his head and pulled away from her. Whatever mood he’d been in before was gone in an instant. “I’m going to see what it was.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He first checked his desk to see if something there had fallen, but everything was in its place. He began to search the room now, eventually finding something he didn’t expect to see. It was a familiar badge case, the lid partially broken off. Some of the badges were scattered on the floor, but they were all there. “She was here..?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The call of a Noivern pierced his ears and he rushed to the window to see someone on its back taking off into the night. The blue glow that accompanied the small frame was enough for him to know for sure. It was her. She had seen him with this girl and left without a word, throwing her case and breaking it in the process. How could he have been so stupid?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What is it Auggy?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t call me that!” He snapped, a strange rage building in him. “Get out of here. Whatever we had, it’s over.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The girl huffed and stuck up her nose, snatching her purse from the couch and storming out of the building. Sycamore didn’t care, he had someone else to worry about, and something else to fix. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He returned to where the case had landed and picked up the badges, placing them on his desk. He sat down and rummaged through a drawer for his screwdriver, setting to work on repairing the case.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He laid the badges out carefully on his desk, thankfully none were scratched. He inspected the case next; there were scratches on the surface, but light ones from frequent use. It was well taken care of. Inside it, the picture he left remained in tact and untouched, though beside it was a little piece of paper he couldn’t remember putting there. It was a small drawing, a heart with two letters and a plus sign. When he read it, his heart skipped a beat and his stomach was sent through spirals of guilt and joy all at once.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She returned his feelings.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>— — —</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>There was someone else, of course there was someone else. I knew this, but I didn’t want to believe it. He broke his promise, though. She called him Auggy, she’d taken him from me.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I didn’t know where else to go, I just told Noi to fly. We were still in the air, but Noi was looking for a place to land. It had started raining, and she couldn’t stay in the air for long. Eventually, we landed at a hotel in some city I didn’t care to recognize. Noi took me inside before I could get off her back, letting me off inside instead. “Thank you..”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Getting a room and settling inside it was all a blur. I could only remember curling up with my two girls on the single bed in the room, just after we’d finished drying off. My other Pokémon surrounded me, sensing my distress and breaking from their pokéballs. I was thankful, and able to drift off to sleep in their company.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I was woken up in the morning by my Pokédex going off. Crystal fetched it for me, and I nearly dropped it when I saw who was calling. It was him. It was Sycamore. I couldn’t answer it now. Not like this, and not after that. I wasn’t ready.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I let it end on its own and saw that he’d called multiple times already, about 12 to be exact. I’m not even sure I would believe anything he has to say at this point. The screen lit up with a new voicemail, 5 in total. I couldn’t deny my curiosity, so I listened to the first one.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Sunshine? It’s Sycamore...listen, I’m really sorry about what happened tonight. What she said..I never gave her permission to use that. To be honest, I’m not even sure why I was with her, but I can promise you I won’t be seeing her anymore after that. I’m hoping you’re asleep...please, don’t do anything crazy. I don’t think I could forgive myself if you did..I’ll call you in the morning.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Short, but he sounded sincere. I could have been wrong, but...maybe I didn’t want to believe it. Maybe I wanted this to be true, I’d have an excuse to get over him. The next voicemail was the first of the morning calls, I’d only just realized it was nearly 4 in the afternoon.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Good morning Sunshine! I hope you’re okay..I don’t think I slept. I’m really worried about you. Please, at least do something to show me you’re okay. You can send me a text, or forcefully hang up my call, just...something. Please...</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He sounded really tried, like he’d pulled an all nighter. Makes sense, he said he doesn’t think he’s slept, which means he didn’t at all. I know him too well.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>I’m really hoping you’re still asleep. I’m getting really worried now...just give me some kind of sign..please..I don’t want to lose the closest friend I have..</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Friend. That’s all I was to him. That’s all I would be.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>(Y/n) please...I need to hear your voice..I’m worried sick about you..I know you’re mad, but..I just want you to be safe..</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He sounded upset, more than before. His voice was raspy and quiet, he still hadn’t slept, and may have been crying.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The next voicemail wasn’t much to go off of. It was like he didn’t even mean to leave a voicemail this time. I could hear faint sobbing coming from the other end, and he was talking, but I couldn’t make out what he was saying over his blubbering. He’d always been a cry baby. It seemed like he realized he was being recorded at the end, he muttered a curse to himself and mad a sound like he was fumbling with the Pokédex. </span>
  <em>
    <span>(Y/n) I...I’m sorry..I should have waited for you..</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Should have waited for me? What did he mean? I replayed the voicemail again, listening in closely to what he was muttering. It was difficult, and I could only make out a few phrases.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>God I...does she really love me back..? It could be someone else..maybe she went to them..but, why would she react this way? And that picture..God I...if I’d waited...I love her and...</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Wait. I replayed that part a few times. Did he really say that..that he loved me? Every time I replayed it, it was the same, almost clear as day.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>I love her.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Why did he keep it from me? Well, I’m a hypocrite, </span>
  <em>
    <span>I </span>
  </em>
  <span>never told</span>
  <em>
    <span> him</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Then why was he with that other woman? Then again, he could’ve been talking about </span>
  <em>
    <span>her.</span>
  </em>
  <span> I won’t know until I ask him, but I can’t build up the nerve to hit call. I bring up our text messages, filled with him pleading and begging for me to answer. I finally typed up a reply to him, a simple one, to let him know I was alive.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His reply was almost immediate.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh thank Arceus you’re alive. I don’t know what I was thinking you would do, I’m just glad you’re okay.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>There were a few more responses that followed this one in quick succession.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Now, you don’t have to respond to these, but I just want you to know how much I care about you. I should never have agreed to meet with that woman, and I’m sorry that I hurt you.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>If you don’t want to talk anymore..I understand. But if you want to talk, I’ll be at my office. And I promise, I’ll be alone.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>I have a surprise for you if you do show up. Something you may want to pick up regardless.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>I debated with myself for a while. Talking on the phone would be easier, but this is something we needed to discuss in person. The question was, could I really do it? Was I ready to delve into that part of my heart? I hoped I was, because I was going.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>— — —</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Nervous was an understatement to how I felt as Noi closed in on the professor’s lab. I wasn’t sure if I was ready for this, but I may as well get it over with. We landed just in front of it and I held Crystal close to me for comfort, like a stuffed animal. The elevator felt longer than usual, anxiety clawing my heart at every second. When the doors opened, I stepped out into Sycamore’s office, thankful for the privacy screen, giving me a little extra time. I took a few deep breaths and slowly made my way around the screen.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I caught him in the middle of pacing. He stopped dead in his tracks and looked up at me the moment he realized I was there. He looked a mess; I’m sure I didn’t look much better. His hair was sticking up in various places, bags sagged under his eyes. He wasn’t even wearing his lab coat, just the same clothes from last night. It all seemed to finally weigh down on him as he smiled at me, not one of joy, but of relief and even sadness. “(Y/n)..I didn’t think you would come..”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I looked down at my shoes, holding Crystal closer to my chest. I couldn’t tell him I almost didn’t want to, that I was scared to face him, face rejection a second time. I kept my mouth shut.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sycamore didn’t seem to mind it. He took a timid step closer to me, as if he was afraid I’d run away, or that I wasn’t real, and would disappear if he got too close. “I’m sorry...about everything. Had I’d known she’d try to use that name...had I known you’d be there I..” his voice cracked at the end. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I could tell how hard he was fighting tears, how hard he was trying to put words together in his head. I could read him like a book, at least I hoped I still could.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That girl..” my own voice surprised me, it was rough and scratchy from crying. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She was just a distraction. I hated that I was using her for that...but I was beginning to lose my mind..”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“A distraction from what?” I snapped at him, my own voice cracking. “You know if you needed to be distracted from work you could have called me! I’d been calling you for days...weeks! And you never answered. You stopped calling back...” I bit my lip, clutching Crystal enough to make her squeak and wiggle out of my arms to avoid my crushing grip.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I couldn’t cry, not here, not again. “I wanted to show you that I beat them..that I was finally on my way to the goal I’ve had since I was a child! That you helped me to achieve! That I kept my </span>
  <em>
    <span>promise</span>
  </em>
  <span>! Why...why would you just abandon me like that?! Why would you break our promise..?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“(Y/n) you know I would never-“</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But you did!” I cut him off. “You let her call you that! You let that woman keep you away from me! She took you away and you did nothing!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I was distracting myself from you!” He snapped suddenly, the air falling still and silent around us.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“From..me?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“All this time..I was trying to get over you..to move on. I knew that you’ve always wanted to go on your adventure, that you’ve wanted to see the world, too. Why would you stop in Kalos when the world was at your fingertips? When you would call me, I could feel myself slipping..I was beginning to fully realize this. That’s why I stopped answering, trying to find something to keep myself away..and I found her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But I felt nothing for her, not like I felt for you. But she was distraction enough..and I thought she also didn’t have any feelings towards me. I was so shocked that night, I kicked her out, said we were through, and I stayed up all night just in case you called me, or needed me for whatever reason. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And...” He turned to his desk, picking something up from its surface. “...I was fixing this.” He held out my badge case, still the same as I remember, only with a new crack to join the scratches.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You..went through all this...because of me?” I almost couldn’t believe it. My heart was swelling in my chest, the best possible outcome just within my reach.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes..” Sycamore slowly stepped closer to me until he was just in front of me. He took my hand and placed the badge case inside it, curling my fingers around the smooth surface. “For years I’ve loved you more than just my best friend. You’ve felt like my other half..my soul mate..I just never knew if you felt the same way, and I was much too timid to ask.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He loved me. He really truly loved me. All this time I’d been so worried that we’d never be more than friends, and he’s loved me, probably as long as I’ve loved him. I couldn’t form words at this moment, only able to hiccup as a sob bubbled up from inside me. All the emotions from the past night being put to rest and replaced with a happiness I’ve never felt before.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sycamore panicked, gently taking my shoulders as he tried to comfort me. “H-Hey don’t cry. Did I say something wrong? I’m sorry I just..I had to tell you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I quickly shook my head and wiped my tears, taking a deep breath to try and calm my voice. “No no, I’m okay. I’ve actually never been better..you have no idea how long I’ve waited to hear that.” I gently took his hands, twining our fingers together. “I’ve felt the same way for so long...I don’t even remember when I fell in love with you. I always thought I was just a good friend.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He pulled me gently closer, squeezing my hands as if to ground himself. “You’ve always been more than just a good friend to me. Since the day I first met you, you’ve been like a ray of sunshine in my life.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is that how you came up with the nickname?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That, and because the moment you picked up Crystal with that big bright smile, the sun framed your face in a way I could never forget.” His hand released my own and gently caressed my cheek, soft fingers tracing down my jaw to my chin. “I still remember it like it was yesterday.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He leaned down, his forehead resting against mine with a sigh of content from both of us. I couldn’t form words anymore, overwhelmed with joy and love for the man I’d been chasing for years.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Can I kiss you?” His words caught me off guard, a redness in both our cheeks from the mere thought. I could only manage a nod in response, but that was enough. In slow, ever so gentle movements, we closed the distance between our lips in a kiss that was long overdue. The first of many to come, and one we would never forget.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hope you all enjoyed! &lt;3</p></blockquote></div></div>
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